Robert Wood Johnson Univ Hospital Nurses to Strike

Nurses Activism

Published

Registered nurses start strike August 24, 2006 at 7am at Robert Wood Johnson Univeristy Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ

Nurses reject contract proposal

Home News Tribune Online 08/17/06

By DAVID STEGON

STAFF WRITER

[email protected]

NEW BRUNSWICK-The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital nurses union yesterday overwhelmingly rejected the hospital's latest labor contract offer, opening the door for a strike to begin at 7 a.m. on Aug. 24, according to union officials.

"The membership is sending a clear message to the hospital that health-care coverage is just substandard, and they won't accept it," said Jeanne Clark, a spokeswoman for the nurses union and a nurse at the hospital for 16 years. "We've got more work to do."

The nurses rejected the revised contract by a vote of 616 to 252, with one member abstaining.

The nurses rejected the hospital's original offer by a 765-165 vote on July 27.

My spouse is a striking nurse at RWJ. She is picketing in solidarity with all the other nurses. She doesn't need the insurance and just wants to go back to the job she loves. She would never cross the picket line and will probably leave instead.

I dont need the insurance either since my husband added me to his insurance after all the problems I went through with the RWJ health plan. However, I am picketing to support my fellow nurses and co-workers for a just healthcare plan due them. I would rather leave and find work from other distant hospitals than cross the picket line.

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when and if this all ends, i encourage ALL nurses who work at hospitals where a union represents them take a perdiem type of position at another local hospital. even if you work at the other facility 1 day in a schedule, when and if there's a strike at your primary hospital, you can scoop up hours right away somewhere else.

once out on a strike is not the time to go looking for replacement work.

never keep all your eggs in one basket.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

admin notice:

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admin notice:

investigating concerns of members, it has been determined that voice of reason is a spokesman for robert wood johnson. membership has been rescinded.

please be mindful that our website is viewable to general public at large when posting and choosing bb names. any time concern noted regarding bb trolls/ posts with tos violations, please use report post icon ( red triangle located left corner each post).

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:yelclap: :yelclap: buh bye! :lol_hitti

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admin notice:

investigating concerns of members, it has been determined that voice of reason is a spokesman for robert wood johnson. membership has been rescinded.

please be mindful that our website is viewable to general public at large when posting and choosing bb names. any time concern noted regarding bb trolls/ posts with tos violations, please use report post icon ( red triangle located left corner each post).

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i knew it!!! hey two thumbs way up to allnurses for doing what they did!!

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Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

Don't know if anyone is a fan of "Yes Minister" a BBC production shown on PBS in the USA. One episode has the minister opening a NHS hospital. All the adminstrators are very, very happy everything runs like clock work. Floors are clean, no work overloads, every one gets paid. Problem is the hospital has no patients !

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I really believe that this strike is about union busting. The health care needs to be fixed and any one would agree that paying $800 penalities per procedure is unreasonable. THe administration went into to this negotiating with the intention of breaking up this union. They were hoping that nurses would hate the union and agree to any crumbs that they had to offer. They took a gamble and they are loosing. I am proud that our nurses are sticking together. I cant imagine what those who cross the line could be thinking, it is really short sighted on their part. And for all the critism of the union, I know I would never work in a hospital that was not unionized. There are too many ways to abuse nurses, can you imagine if there was no union to back you up? "Okay you are being floated twice this shift, and as far as RN:patient ratios? forget it, we are short today, take 10 patients, etc.

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I really believe that this strike is about union busting. The health care needs to be fixed and any one would agree that paying $800 penalities per procedure is unreasonable. THe administration went into to this negotiating with the intention of breaking up this union. They were hoping that nurses would hate the union and agree to any crumbs that they had to offer. They took a gamble and they are loosing. I am proud that our nurses are sticking together. I cant imagine what those who cross the line could be thinking, it is really short sighted on their part. And for all the critism of the union, I know I would never work in a hospital that was not unionized. There are too many ways to abuse nurses, can you imagine if there was no union to back you up? "Okay you are being floated twice this shift, and as far as RN:patient ratios? forget it, we are short today, take 10 patients, etc.

i agree. even with the union the management still try to pull that crap of getting 7-8 patients and floating nurses twice a shift. our only defense is the union.

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I can argue --- DISCUSS --- things with my friends and peers. But, while I MIGHT feel entitled to express my opinions in our domain, I will absolutely close ranks against the outside.

Nurses don't just earn their keep: they earn it for EVERY employee of a hospital, from the CEO on down.

Without us, a hospital is just a building with a bunch of empty beds and turned off equipment.

Even to the EXTENT that RWJ is open for business during a strike, it is because of NURSES, whether they've crossed the line or donned scrubs instead of business suits.

Even as they engage in a strike, management can't HELP but value the roles of NURSES. Without THEM, even management would be on unemployment.

~faith,

Timothy.

Timothy - You are THE MAN!!:yelclap: :bow:

You know, I'd never thought of it this way - "Without us, a hospital is just a building with a bunch of empty beds." I really like that!

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I really believe that this strike is about union busting.

Couldn't agree more. Even as an outsider looking in...sure looks like it was a union busting strategy from the start! However, they seem to have underestimated the resolve of nurses and the solidarity that they encountered.

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Update 9/13:

Looks like it might be over soon; there will be a vote on a new contract Sunday. The website explains all the changes we will vote on:

http://usw4-200.org/strike913.htm

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I read your current plan summary. Sounds like some much needed improvement.

I'd be interested to know what the RWJ nurses that have posted here think about it or what the general consensus is for voting for it.

Of course, I don't want anyone to taint potential outcomes with their input. It'd wait till after the vote if you think that's appropriate.

~faith,

Timothy.

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